Ten Below Zero

Present

 

 

After paying my bills, I slipped into some running shorts and a tank top. I was out the door a minute later, headed down the sidewalk towards my school.

 

I was never a runner before I met Mira. My idea of working out had been dancing at the club or raising my hand for another drink. But Mira had pushed me, pissed me off, and forced me to be strong. So now I ran almost every day. I ran the four miles to campus, grabbed lunch from a food cart and ate in the park nearby so I could indulge in my favorite pastime: people-watching.

 

When I made it to campus, I heard my phone go off. I plopped onto a bench and pulled it out of the pocket it was strapped to on my arm.

 

Everett: You never answered my question about lunch. That was rude of you.

 

My lips twitched.

 

Me: I never claimed to be anything else.

 

Everett: And now you’re stealing my words. You definitely owe me lunch.

 

I hesitated. Yes, for some strange reason, I wanted to see him again. There was something really peculiar about him, and his scars had piqued my interest. But it was completely unlike me to engage with someone, least of all a man, in a one-on-one setting.

 

Me: Okay fine.